When the new Companies Bill was passed in the Rajya Sabha in the first week of August, it made way for a new breed of management professionals specialised in corporate social responsibility (CSR). The new Bill now prescribes an expenditure of two per cent of the company’s profits on CSR activities in their respective areas of operation. “The company will also need to have a dedicated CSR department headed by a director and supported by two promoter directors. And this will open up opportunities for graduates trained in CSR,” explained R. Nagaraj, senior faculty at the Centre for Excellence-CSR, Mysore.
The centre, affiliated to the University of Mysore in association with the Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs, has launched an MBA course from this academic year which will address this very need of creating professionals in this field. “This move itself will herald a new era in the Indian industry. And the breed of professionals who will be created will have a grounding in general management along with the ability to craft the welfare of the society and the right business outlook for the company,” said Debasis Bhattacharya, founder-director of the Centre for Excellence.
The course, which has an intake of 120 students for this academic year, will begin in September. “It is designed to give students a foundation in specialised and emerging areas of management along with in-depth knowledge of non-governmental organisations, and CSR in the various facets of management,” said Mr. Nagaraj. He expects the industry to lap up the graduates as there will be requirement for more than one lakh specialised CSR graduates soon.
Upon graduating, students of this course, which is a first-of-its kind in India, will receive their degrees from the University of Mysore.
The last date to apply is August 19. Graduate students with 50 per cent marks in any field are eligible. “This year we will first scrutinise applications and then have a two-fold personal interview process,” said Prof. Bhattacharya. The course coordinators will deliberate on the admission process for the next year in November. “As of now we want to admit all dedicated students to the course,” he said.
For details regarding the course visit www.csrcoe.asia or call Mr. Nagaraj on 94484 02849 or Prabhat K. Singh (faculty) on 94808 49411.
